From Beginning to End

(Psa 16:2 NAS77) I said to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; I have no good besides Thee."

(Proverbs 1 also read, note the above quote is not KJV)

One of the common teaching to all branches of Christianity is original sin.  Various words are used to describe it but the idea is that when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, that sin was transferred to all mankind afterward.  In fact it polluted all of creation.

Of course the answer to that is Jesus but David did not know about Calvary.  In spite of that he understood that it was only through the grace of God that any good could be in his life.  That is one of the universal truths from Genesis to Revelation.  Don’t get distracted by people who want to divide the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New Testament.  Such things as grace and faith are clear all the way through.

One of the ways in which you can identify pseudo-Christian “churches” is on this issue.  The first of course is the deity of Christ but the acceptance that mankind is born in sin is also commonly rejected.

So?  It is possible to live a righteous life.  You can’t do it on your own but with the cleansing of the blood, the filling of the Spirit and a desire to belong to Jesus, you can do it. 

Long Range Promise

(Psa 16:10 KJV)  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

(Proverbs 4 also read)

There are two levels of hope expressed in this verse.  The first is what David is applying to himself.  He has the assurance that God will not “leave” (abandon NASB) (5800a) his “soul” (5315) [nephesh] to “hell” (Sheol NASB) (7585).  This is one of the indications in the Old Testament that God offers eternal life to believers.  If David has that hope then we have it multiplied.

The second hope was a future prophecy for David but is a past assurance for us.  David switches from himself to the Messiah.  This is one of the prophecies that are brought out to point to Jesus rising from the dead.  When David died and was buried it became clear that he was not talking about himself.  Looking back we see the basis for our hope in the resurrection.

So?  As Paul implied, death has no sting for us.  It is a promise grounded centuries before Jesus was born.  It is still a promise today.